Ultimate Nursing Services is proud to have served so many patients and made so many friends throughout our 15 years of care giving. Read just a few of their stories below.
Adrian, known to all of us as "my boy" or Audie, was brought to his home from the Mercy NICU when he was 8 months old. He was on a ventilator with a tracheotomy, gastrostomy and lots of oxygen. He was very unstable for months, but after about two years he was able to be weaned off the ventilator and the oxygen. He also had his gastrostomy removed when he was 1 1/2 years old because he was eating so well, and when he was just over two years old, he had his tracheotomy removed. Adrian still has nursing 10 hours a day, five days a week due to asthma, but is otherwise a normal and healthy four-year-old. He goes to pre-school, and surprised his teacher by being the most articulate child in her class. He loves to read, especially about animals, and he loves horses, especially the Black Stallion and Spirit. Adrian also enjoys going to Debi's farm to ride on the golf cart, chase the peacocks and fish in the pond. Audie is now a 7 year old. He is attending regular school and is in the first grade. He is doing fairly well in school, he has some problems with reading and math but is receiving special education in his classroom and has progressed very nicely this year. He will be graduating to second grade right on schedule. Audie has remained healthy with no admissions to the hospital for nearly four years. He still uses an inhaler several times per week but has not needed to use oxygen for more than a year. Audie is a very articulate and active boy. He asks why, why, why to every new thing he discovers. His favorite activity is hiking and hunting deer with his pop gun while at Debi’s house. He loves to watch Sponge Bob, play the WII and WII fit, read, color and do any kind of art project. He is very creative and can easily spook himself with only his imagination. Audie continues to receive skilled nursing respite twice weekly which has helped to keep him strong and healthy.
Rylie is a 16-month-old little girl we've had for 13 months. She has spina bifida, a tracheotomy, gastrostomy and skilled nursing 16 hours a day. Rylie, who is paralyzed from the waist down, lives in West Des Moines with her parents and older sister. She can sit on her own, is starting to eat big people food and plays "Patty-cake" and "Sooooo-big. Rylie is now four years old. She is going to pre-school four ½ days per week and loves school and loves the kids. She has lots of friends at school that she enjoys playing with very much. Rylie has a new wheelchair and walker. She is learning to walk and is a very hard-worker and determined little girl. She still has her trach and GT but is eating normally and only has her GT for medications and extra fluids. She still needs a little oxygen now and then at night and has recently had a bout of asthma flare-up because of an ear infection. Rylie loves to talk and tell stories, love doing her “charting” and her favorite things are pencils! Rylie still has nurses every day and every night and loves all of her nurses. She is an adorable and intelligent little girl that brings laughter and joy to everyone she meets. "
Lillian is a 2-year-old girl who was born at 38 weeks after an ultrasound diagnosed her with an omphalocele. After delivery, Lillian continued to have problems and doctors found that she also had a perimembranous ventricular septal defect. It was also found that she had hypothyroidism. After spending much time in the hospital, Lillian was discharged to home requiring a tracheostomy, oxygen and ventilator. She also gets her nutrition via a NG-tube. With the help of her nurses, Lillian has progressed off of the ventilator and only requires Bi-PAP at night. She is starting to eat more orally and continues to grow. Lillian has nursing cares 16 hours a day so that her parents can continue to work and know that she is being cared for by competent, caring nurses. She enjoys reading, watching TV and playing and has dogs, cats, horses and geese on her farm. . "
Sarah is a 4-year-old girl who spent the first 6 months of her life in and out of the hospital and physician offices to only find out that she had Congenital Muscular Dystrophy. By age 2, she required tracheostomy placement and now requires the ventilator 24-hours a day. Her nurses also administer G-tube feedings. Sarah has poor muscle control and requires support at all times and wears a back brace when she is up in the wheelchair. Sarah has nursing care during the overnight hours so that her parents can be well rested to work and take care of her during the day. Sarah is a very smart little girl and enjoys reading and playing on the computer. Sarah also receives PT and ST in her home. Sarah loves to go outside when the weather is nice and uses an electric wheelchair to move around her house.
Jason is a young adult that has been with our agency since 2004. Ultimate Nursing provides 13 hours a day skilled nursing care. He has Muscular Dystrophy, tracheotomy, G-tube, and ventilator dependency. His daily cares consists of nebulizer treatments, medications, suctioning needs, range-of-motion, personal cares, and continuous medical monitoring of his respiratory system. Jason loves to spend time on his computer. He is able to complete college courses on-line with nursing assistance in positioning his hands to enable him to use the computer. Jason is dependent on others for all cares. When the weather is nice, Jason enjoys spending time outside. Jason lives at home with his mother and sister.
Caleb was discharged from the hospital at the age of 4 months. He came home from the hospital with a tracheotomy, oxygen, G-tube and J-Tube. Caleb receives 16 hours per day of skilled nursing services. His daily cares consists of nebulizer treatments, medications, suctioning, J-Tube feedings, personal cares and continuous respiratory assessments. Caleb was diagnosed with congenital anomalies along with Stage 5 Renal Failure. Recently, Caleb has been started on peritoneal dialysis. Caleb enjoys interacting with his family and nurses. He lives at home with his mom, dad and siblings. We always enjoy seeing his big smiles and sparking eyes.
Samantha is a 13 year old who sustained a severe anoxic brain injury due to a near drowning in her bathtub when she was 10 months old. Prior to this time, Samantha was developing at a normal rate. As a result of the injury, she is semi-comatose. She began receiving in-home early childhood special education services following her brain injury. After her family moved to Norwalk, she began to attend preschool several days a week, but this was not successful due to her suppressed immune system. Frequent illnesses and infections have prevented her from continuing to attend school outside of her home until June of 2006. She currently attends school at Lakewood Elementary in Norwalk three ½ days per week while being accompanied by her nurse and loves school and the other kids. Samantha has received in home nursing services since 1997 and began services with Ultimate Nursing in January 2008. Samantha requires 24 hours supervision and also requires total assist with all needs. She requires around the clock care which includes but isn’t limited to: continuous medical monitoring and assessment of the respiratory and gastrointestinal systems to prevent and intervene in life threatening compromise/failure, frequent oral/oral-pharyngeal suctioning, hourly pulse ox and vital signs monitoring, g-tube feedings, care and medications, nebulizer treatments, The-air-apy Vest or hand held percussion BID and up to every 4 hours, ROM, AFO’s and personal cares. Samantha lives at home with her parents, her older brother, younger brother and younger twin sisters. Nursing care provides a safe and comfortable environment for her while still allowing he to stay home and be part of her family.
Evan is a 3 year old born at 25 weeks gestation weighing only 1 pound. He was in the NICU and PICU for nearly 11 months. While in the NICU he was diagnosed with BPD, hypercardia, retinopathy of prematurity and grade I IVH. He spent much of his time in the NICU attempting to be weaned from oxygen and mechanical ventilation with little success. Upon discharge home with UNSI, he required continuous medical monitoring and assessment of respiratory status to monitor for life threatening respiratory compromise/failure and intervene as indicated, maintain a patent airway through suctioning, trach cares, monitor ventilator function and administer ventilation and oxygen, administer GT feedings, medications and perform GT cares, administer nebulizer medications, monitor neuro status for signs of increased intracranial pressure and neuro compromise, monitor continuous pulse oximetry, provide personal cares as indicated, monitor circulation and skin integrity and ensure safety, monitor growth and development, do weekly weights and weekly heights, and follow through with all prescribed physical, occupational and speech therapies. In spring 2008, he was weaned off of his ventilator and then had his trach removed in July 2008. He continues to require oxygen PRN, frequent nebulizer treatments with chest physiotherapy, oral steroids PRN and frequent antibiotics due to his primary diagnosis of reactive airway and asthma. He is now attending preschool through the Waukee School district 4 mornings per week while being accompanied by an UNSI nurse. By providing nursing care in the home Evan is able to safely remain in his home with constant monitoring of his respiratory status and immediate intervention in the event of compromise or failure.
Nicole is a 15-year-old female diagnosed with Spina Bifida, Seizure Disorder and Neurogenic bowel and bladder. She has been receiving nursing services from Ultimate Nursing since March 2007. The UNSI nurses provide continuous medical monitoring and assessment of neurological status with necessary medical interventions to prevent respiratory compromise and/or failure, administers medications, follow through with all therapies, provide personal cares including feeding and bathing, monitor skin integrity, providing bowel and bladder care along with providing developmental play/therapy daily per therapist and parents direction. Nicole continues to attend school regularly while being accompanied by an UNSI nurse at the Waukee Middle School. It is reported by her nurses that she is doing better in school this year and is able to hold her attention longer and follow directions better. She can say small words and do some sign language. She also laughs, smiles and nods her head yes or no. By receiving UNSI services, it allows Nicole to remain living at home with her sister, who also has some disabilities and both of her parents, who work full time outside the home.
